Analyzing Tản Đà's poem 'Wishing to Be Like Cuội'

Prompt: Analyzing Tản Đà's poem 'Wishing to Be Like Cuội'

4 sample essays Analyzing Tản Đà's poem 'Wishing to Be Like Cuội'

1. Analysis of Tản Đà's poem 'Wishing to Be Like Cuội', sample number 1:

Tản Đà - Nguyễn Khắc Hiếu emerged on the Vietnamese literary scene in the early years of the century with a unique personality: a poet of sorrow and dreams, audacious and romantic. The poem 'Wishing to Be Like Cuội' clearly demonstrates his personality.

The poem 'Wishing to Be Like Cuội' is included in the collection 'Block of Young Love' (1916). Although the work follows the form of the seven-word eight-sentence poem of the Tang Dynasty, readers will find here, beneath the ancient poetry form, new signs of emotion. The poet's confessions in a new era have softened the seriousness and scale of the old poetry form. Simplicity, clarity, and closeness to natural language create the charm of this poem.

From the title of the poem, it is evident of a candid tone, as if the poet has released a need for straightforwardness, revealing both sincerity and arrogance: wanting to be here like an urgent need to express without concealment or hesitation. But what does one want? Wanting to be Cuội is essentially wanting to ascend. The desire to ascend is as genuine as the desire for food, drink, or sleep!

And if one desires to transcend, why must Cuội be the model to aspire to? Referring to oneself as 'thằng' rather than 'chú' is also a form of arrogance.

So, it seems this romantic poet wants to ascend to the moon!

Oh Sister Hằng, the autumn night is so melancholy,
In this mundane world, I'm already halfway bored!

Top Essays Analyzing Tản Đà's poem 'Wishing to Be Like Cuội'

Sister Hằng must reside in the moon, nothing less! It turns out our poet wants to be Cuội to confide with the beautiful Sister Hằng Nga. The first two lines of the poem serve as a lamentation. There's no need to borrow anything else to express the sorrow within, the poet openly reveals their heart. The sadness is so sincere. The poet lays bare their heart in fervent calling. We often encounter in Tản Đà's poetry a sense of boredom, a melancholy that envelops everything. Because of such profound sadness, the poet wishes to 'become Cuội.' But it's not baseless sadness, nor is it seeking an excuse to be sad enough to ascend. The sadness here is the sorrow of life, the weariness of a dark, chaotic life. Living in the context of semi-feudal colonial society in the early 20th century, Tản Đà isn't alone in feeling bored. The oppressive atmosphere of a nation losing its sovereignty weighs heavily on everyone, burdening the minds, especially sensitive souls like poets. The feeling of boredom is the mood of the era. There are countless forms of sadness, but they all share a commonality: feeling trapped in the reality of life, leading to frustration, dissatisfaction with the times.

Tản Đà's sadness stems from that. And thus, the poet seeks an escape by transcending life, living in a different world, a world of dreams, of fairies. The poet calls the moon 'sister,' addressing it as 'you,' a blend of intimacy for expression and arrogance. The following four lines further demonstrate Tản Đà's arrogance:

Has anyone sat on the laurel throne there yet?
Branches of banyan, please remind the sister to come play

Students should delve into more outstanding sample essays such as: My reflections on Tản Đà's mood in the poem: Wanting to be Cuội or My thoughts on Tản Đà's confessions and arrogance through the poem Wanting to be Cuội to reinforce their Literature knowledge.

2. Analyzing the poem Wanting to be Cuội by Tản Đà, sample number 2:

After over a decade into the 20th century transitioning into modernization with the patriotic literary waves of Phan Châu Trinh, Phan Bội Châu,... our country's literature entered an extremely dynamic transitional phase. From the 1920s onwards, bold writers emerged on the literary scene, innovating both content and literary forms. They combined the beauty of tradition with the demands of the era, creating remarkable literary works imbued with the aspirations and complexities of a generation rich in ambitions, patriotism, love for life, yet also frustration,... One of the pioneers of this literary trend was the poet Tản Đà. Tản Đà composed numerous works where even just by their titles, we can perceive their uniqueness, full of dreams, and romance: Childish Love I, II, III, Big Dreams, Little Dreams,... In the collection of poems Childish Love, the poem Wanting to be Cuội is regarded by many as the most unique. And rightfully so. Through the title and initial minutes of reading - understanding, we can sense the unique beauty of the poem. Is this a desire out of the ordinary, eccentric, or perhaps a fascinating, whimsical dream? Wanting to be Cuội means wanting to soar to the moon palace, to escape the mundane world and live with the stars, the fairies, right? Why does the poet have such a desire? What significance does this desire hold?... Countless intriguing, captivating questions arise, drawing us in.

Also a poem in the form of seven syllables eight lines following the rules of Đường poetry, also written in Nôm script, yet compared to many Nôm poems of the medieval literary period and two poems created just a few years prior by Phan Châu Trinh, Phan Bội Châu, but the soul of the poem, its tone, and language in Wanting to be Cuội are quite different. The poem carries a gentle, graceful tone with a hint of tender humor, exhibiting a touch of recklessness, whimsicality of a romantic poet, seeking liberation.

The opening couplet (the verse) expresses the melancholy and weariness of a poet, a person amidst the world:

Oh Sister Hằng, this autumn night is so dreary!
Halfhearted I feel in this worldly life, weary,

The distinctiveness is evident in the two personal pronouns 'sister' and 'I,' sounding quite charming. Personifying the moon, then feminizing it, calling by the name Hằng (as spoken by many ancient poets - Hằng Nga - Lady Hằng), accompanied by the pronoun 'sister,' addressing oneself as 'I,' the poet creates a surprising, intimate yet rustic relationship, suitable for sharing thoughts and sorrows. The poet's feelings are directly expressed through two words of sadness and weariness. Autumn sadness is a familiar sentiment among ancient literati. Because, as autumn arrives, it brings along chilly autumn air, whispering autumn winds, withering autumn foliage, awaiting the days of decay,... Countless national poets from Nguyễn Trãi to Nguyễn Du, from Hồ Xuân Hương to Bà Huyện Thanh Quan, then Nguyễn Khuyến, Tú Xương,... have experienced the autumn sadness, soaking their lines of poetry. As a talented, sensitive poet, facing autumn, surely Tản Đà has absorbed the soul of autumn, the desolation of nature, and the sorrows of literature, of poets. That is a romantic, gentle, nostalgic sadness, seemingly groundless yet fateful. While the feeling of being 'weary halfway' is no longer the groundless romanticism of an artist. It's a weariness saturated with the realities of life of a soul once worried for the country and the people in the scenes of misery and slavery. Autumn night... sad, together with the worldly weariness,... depicts the scene of earth and sky, nature combined with the dark, painful scenes of life that prompted the poet to sigh aloud, seeking someone to share with. Perhaps not finding anyone worthy, hence tilting the face in lamentation towards the clouds, towards the moon and stars. Underneath the vast night sky, perhaps the moon's solemn face becomes a confidant. Because the moon shines brightly, round, bountiful, carefree, speechless yet full of allure. Through the sensitive, affectionate heart, the poet Tản Đà sees in the moon's figure an ideal companion. The poet addresses the moon as 'sister' - 'sister Hằng,' skillfully assuming the role of 'I' (if 'sister Hằng' is real) and adeptly leading the poetic idea. Emerging after the couplet structured like an invocation, the sigh is a sincere, earnest wish, compelling the listener, the confidant cannot refuse, and the reader of poetry cannot stop.

Analysis of Tản Đà's poem Wanting to be Cuội, selected literary sample

Moving onto the four practical and argumentative lines, expressing wishes, seeking to become a unique dream:

Who has yet sat under the fragrant quince tree?
Remind the banyan branch to join in the play.
With pregnancy, with companionship, what sorrow?
With wind, with clouds, then it's truly joyful.

In terms of the structure and symmetry of Tang poetry, the four lines above have violated the rules, not aligning with the content of two practical lines and two argumentative lines, each pair of lines also not properly juxtaposed in language and meaning. However, when read aloud, we still feel the flowing language, the concise meaning, the poet's soul naturally developing, harmonizing with the two opening lines. These are innovations in Tang law to express intentions, the poet's ego soaring naturally. The four lines express wishes, unique premonitions. The first line probes, 'Who has yet sat under the fragrant quince tree?'. The second line, without waiting for an answer, boldly requests, 'Remind the banyan branch to join in the play'. The images of 'fragrant quince', 'banyan branch', 'who sat there' evoke countless legends about the 'Quang Han Palace' (moon), about the 'banyan tree, Uncle Cuoi' that many Vietnamese people know. These are not places of human habitation but supernatural addresses, superhuman characters present in imagination, in dreams. Perhaps, when uttering these poetic lines, the poet Tản Đà is lulling his soul into a dream! We feel as if he is shrinking, petite, like the character Uncle Cuoi of old days clinging to the 'banyan branch' soaring up, up, to the moon palace, then slowly descending, sitting under the banyan tree, beside Uncle Cuoi. Then follows a scene, an intriguing picture:

With pregnancy, with companionship, what sorrow?
With wind, with clouds, then it's truly joyful.

The poet has reached the destination, meeting Sister Hằng, Uncle Cuội, befriending the wind, clouds. The phrases 'what sorrow?' and 'then it's truly joyful' clearly depict a contented mood, forgetting all sorrows in the mortal world to find joy in the celestial realm. The melody of the language rings with a hint of playfulness, laughter, whimsy, yet very affectionate. It can be said that the romantic soul of the poet has found an ideal place to escape. Ascending to the moon, hiding in the flying clouds, carried by the wind means that Tản Đà has completely distanced himself from the 'dreary life', away from the 'mundane realm'. But Tản Đà's wish is not solely to escape, to avoid. It is the genuine dreams, the sincere aspirations of a person always tied to life, always desiring general happiness, personal happiness, meeting kind-hearted, sincere friends. The poet once lamented:

Surrounded by rocks and trees,
Where to find true friends here.

and once dreamed:

In the next life, please don't be a human,
Be a pair of swallows soaring the sky together.

With the aspiration of Wanting to be Cuội, that rightful desire encounters a dream of a multi-faceted soul, becoming a narrative with a touch of arrogance, worldly-wise, romanticism. Weariness of life, autumn sorrow, now are shoulder to shoulder with the beauty Hằng Nga, enjoying freely with the wind and clouds, what could be more delightful and how could there still be loneliness, sorrow! Tản Đà's romantic inspiration bears the stamp of the era and goes further than the ancients in that aspect. The era's mark and breadth in Tản Đà's chaotic poetry is pushed further by a sudden, unexpected turn in the last two lines of the poem:

Every mid-autumn festival,
They lean together, gazing down on the world and laughing.

On the Mid-Autumn night, under the bright moon, everyone looks up to admire the moon and stars, the treasures of the sky, while the poet is sitting snugly on the moon, leaning on the beautiful Hằng Nga, gazing down, then... laughing. Why does the poet laugh? Perhaps because he has achieved his dream, the desire to escape, to distance himself from the mundane world, so he is content, laughing happily. Perhaps because he stands in a lofty position, above all petty, lowly worldly matters, so the poet sees clearly the vile, dirty, laughable aspects of the narrow, sordid world. Perhaps it's a self-mocking, self-mocking laugh... playing it cool, surpassing life, different from life. A single laugh opens up two or three meanings, truly fascinating. Perhaps the last two lines of the poem, especially the final word ('laugh'), are the pinnacle of the poet's romantic soul, his free-spirited, arrogant yet charming, affectionate nature.

In conclusion, the poem Wanting to be Cuội is the confession of a deeply dissatisfied person with the mundane, vile society, wanting to escape through the dream of ascending to the moon to befriend Sister Hằng, joyfully playing with the wind and clouds. It's an intriguing, arrogant, romantic dream. The allure of the poem lies in the beauty of that dream expressed in the words, the vivid images rich in national essence, in the innovative exploration of the eight-line poem structure of Tang law by Tản Đà. Thanks to the innovations in poetry, the exploration in art, poet Tản Đà contributed to opening up a lively, enthusiastic period in the history of modern Vietnamese poetry, just as researcher Hoài Thanh remarked: 'The scholar has shared with us a sincere longing, a longing to escape from the narrowness, the falsehood, the dryness of the old mold... The scholar has played the opening notes for a new symphony soon to come...'.
 

3. Analysis of the poem 'Wanting to be Cuội' by Tản Đà, sample number 3:

Tản Đà (1889-1939) whose real name is Nguyễn Khắc Hiếu was a multi-talented individual; he wrote poetry, prose, and was also a famous playwright in our country. He chose the pen name Tản Đà because he was a patriot who loved his homeland, wishing to associate his pen name with his homeland. Tản Đà signifies the connection between Tản Viên Mountain and Đà River of his homeland. He rose like a bright star, both unique and creative in the Vietnamese literary world at the beginning of the 20th century. He wrote romantic poems with very bold ideas, characterized by a free-spirited, strong personality. He is also considered a pioneer for the birth of modern poetry in Vietnamese literature, a 'bridge between two literary periods, classical and modern.' His poetry mainly exudes a 'bold' tone, exemplified by the poem 'Wanting to be Cuội.'

The poem 'Wanting to be Cuội' was created in 1916 and published in the collection 'Khối tình con' (1916). The poem is written in the format of the Đường luật eight-line poem, but it is influenced by his poetic style, although it's in an ancient poetic form, it contains new, different signs of emotions. It is the author's confession in a new era that has somewhat reduced the solemnity, strictness of the old poetic form. In the language, simplicity along with natural speech has created creativity, beauty, and unique characteristics for the poem. Although the poem is bold, it still carries a gentle tone, adding a bit of humor, romance, and even looseness.

We encounter a bold tone right in the title of the poem, hinting at the desire to be different, or perhaps it's an intriguing dream, adding more depth and of course romance. The author wanting to be Cuội means wanting to escape from the mundane world and ascend to the fairy realm. While people want dreams like living in luxury, enjoying happiness for life, why does the author want to live in the sky with the moon, why? Right in the title, we already see something very distinctive and appealing, perhaps the content of the work is even more interesting. In the first two lines:

'Oh dear Hằng, the autumn night is so sorrowful!
I feel weary of this mundane life already,'

Essay: Analysis of Tản Đà's poem 'Wanting to be Cuội'

The verse pours out like a lament, a melancholic desire to confide in someone about the weariness of worldly life. We encounter two personal pronouns 'chị' (elder sister) and 'em' (younger sister), with the author referring to themselves as 'em', sounding intimate and familiar as if it's been long accustomed to, quite soothing.

Then come the next four lines, expressing wishes:

'Has anyone sat on the moon's bow?
Oh dear Hằng, please remind me to play on the banyan branch.
With abundance, with companions, what sorrow is there?
With wind, with clouds, that's when joy truly comes.'

In these four lines, while the structure and symmetry of Tang poetry laws may have been violated, the poem's beauty still shines through. Despite the mismatch between descriptive and inferential lines, there's creativity in language and natural poetic development, indicating Tản Đà's innovation. These lines express the author's wishes and plead for his unique dreams to become reality. Firstly, he inquires if anyone has been on the moon's bow. Then, he humbly asks Hằng to take him to the banyan branch to play. The imagery of 'moon's bow', 'banyan branch' represents places only fairies can reach, often associated with the story of Cuội and the banyan tree. The poetry suggests the author is immersed in a beautiful dream. In the inferential lines, the author fulfills his desires by befriending the wind and clouds, playing together on the moon, forgetting all sorrows on Earth, and finding joy in the celestial realm. The verses carry a playful, mischievous tone, making readers feel like they're adventuring on the moon with the author.

The final two lines bring immense surprise:

'Then every Mid-Autumn Festival,
We lean together, gazing down at the world, laughing.'

Mid-Autumn Festival is a joyous night for every family, gathering outdoors to admire the moon. The moon on Mid-Autumn night shines brightest as everyone chats happily together. However, the poet is different; he sits on the moon, leaning against Hằng, and together they gaze down at the world. While everyone below enjoys themselves, the poet laughs. Is it because he's happy, or is there another meaning? Indeed, the poet's laughter is mocking, as from his elevated position, he can see everything, finding amusement and contempt in the world below. Perhaps the poet is also laughing at himself for his lofty, unconventional ideas.

Through the poem 'Desiring to Become Cuội,' we clearly see the poet's eccentricity and his disdain for the mundane world. He wants to escape far away, to dwell in the fairy realm, to revel in his dreams and imagine himself befriending the wind and clouds. We also see the innovation of Tang poetry in this poem, as the poet contributes significantly to the period of modern literary renewal in Vietnam.

4. Analysis of the poem Desiring to Become Cuội by Tản Đà, sample 4:

Tản Đà is a literary talent of Vietnam, bridging the gap between medieval and modern literature. Desiring to Become Cuội reflects a profound sense of disillusionment and discord with the ordinary reality, yearning to escape into the author's world of imagination. At the same time, the poem also demonstrates fresh, bold innovations in his writing.

The title of the poem is remarkably distinctive, as the author employs the word 'desire' to express the longing for a transformation of living space and the desire to embody someone else, specifically here, to become Cuội. Right from the title, it reveals the poet's egotism and romanticism. A distant wish from the very practicality, as the author seeks to escape from the mundane, the mediocre reality.

Autumn nights are so melancholy, oh Hằng!
In this world, I'm halfway tired now.

The mundane reality, the deceitfulness the author doesn't know whom to confide in, thus turns to Hằng to pour out his heart. This illustrates the loneliness, the lostness of him in life. Autumn nights - a time that stirs melancholy in sensitive souls - hence the poet's heart becomes even emptier, lonelier. Not just sadness, sorrow, and loneliness, Tản Đà also conveys a sense of weariness with life in the verse. In this line, the author directly expresses his loneliness, something rarely seen in medieval literature. Tản Đà breaks the rules of classical poetry, expressing personal emotions directly, which is a novelty in his poetry.

Because of the mundane life, the author dreams of escaping the worldly life. Tản Đà's practical way of escaping is quite special: he wants to ascend to the moon to befriend Hằng. The inquiry seems only an excuse: Has anyone sat on the palace's balcony?, without waiting for Hằng's response, he proposes: 'Please remind me to play on the banyan branch.' The dialogue in Tản Đà's imagination is poetic and affectionate. Simultaneously, it demonstrates his egotism.

Analysis of Tản Đà's poem 'Desire to be Cuội' succinctly

Expanding his imagination further, the author envisions himself sitting on the palace balcony, chatting and playing joyfully with Hằng. There, the author escapes from sadness and loneliness because he has Hằng as a companion: 'With a partner and pregnant, why feel down? / With wind and clouds, that's where joy is.' The images of wind and clouds make the author's soul even more lofty and romantic. Tản Đà's arrogance is manifested in the wish to release his soul with the wind and clouds to wander in the sky and on earth.

The final two lines express the author's wish to forever stay in his palace of banyan trees. The words 'every year' depict the repetition of time, expressing the desire not to leave this place. And in his palace with Hằng, 'We look down at the world, laughing,' the author's smile can be understood in many ways: smiling because the desire to escape and avoid the mundane world cannot be satisfied, or smiling in mockery and disdain for the chaotic, dark, and suffocating world. However interpreted, it reflects the sorrow of one who is weary and desires to escape reality.

The poem is written in the form of seven-syllable lines with alternating rhyme scheme, adhering to the rules of prosody but not formulaic or restrictive. The meaning of the poem is expansive, free, lofty, and bears the personal stamp. The skill of contrast is also applied skillfully.